Lucerne: A perfect base to explore Central Swiss

Switzerland is the dream destination for most of the travelers. It is indeed beautiful with the scenic Alps, numerous turquoise lakes, and typical wooden houses.The country is positioned in Europe so perfectly that it can be accessed from all the sides and one cannot decide which side is stunning than other. The popular entry points for Swiss are Zurich and Geneva.

The small beautiful old city- Lucerne is situated on Lake Lucerne and at the base of mountains Pilatus and Rigi. Lucerne is a perfect base to explore central Switzerland. There are trains from Zurich central station every hour to Lucerne and it takes only about an hour to reach here. Numerous popular destinations like Interlaken, Mount Titlis, Jungfraujoch can be easily reached by public transport from here.

Attractions

Chapel bridge – This is one of the oldest, covered wooden bridges in Europe. The bridge was built in 1333 across the river Reuss. Besides the bridge is 34-meter-tall water tower which was the part of town fortification. This tower and the Chapel bridge are one of the most ‘Clicked’ spots today, in Switzerland. The guided walking tour of this bridge is worth informative.

Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

Old Town – The old medieval wooden houses along narrow winding alleys makes the old town a perfect destination to stroll a bit and to meet locals and to taste their food.

Old town fortification – It is also known as ‘old town wall’ or ‘Museggmauer’. The wall was built in the 14th century. It has 9 towers, all with different structures. Lucerne’s oldest clock is present on one of these towers – Zyt. One can see the mechanism of this clock inside the tower.

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Old Town fortification, Lucerne

Glacier garden – This is a museum of a glacier which was present in Lucerne region 20 million years ago. The collection includes many fossils, rocks etc. There are some interactive segments which are great for children as well as grown-ups. The mirror labyrinth is also fun for kids. Unfortunately, we did not visit there.

Swiss transport museum – When we are in Swiss with public transport, we get to experience all types transportations from boats, trains to cable cars, rack trains etc. The museum displays all the information about it. Children will love to experience this visit. Keep the entire day free for this visit as there are some more attractions like ‘Chocolate Adventure’ also present.

Lion monument – This is a stone sculpture where a dying lion is carved and It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution.

Lion Monument, Lucerne

Lake Lucerne – It is a large dragon-shaped lake with crystal clear water. The landscape looks like fjords due to surrounding towering mountains. But the lake can be explored by paddle boats or by cruise also. Along the lake, there are many ‘Boat restaurants’ famous among tourists.

Day trips

Mt. Pilatus – One can reach here by car, train, boat and/or cable car. It takes only about 1 hour to arrive from Lucerne. The view of Lake Lucerne in the valley is amazing. The Golden Pass includes this round trip also. For more details, click here.

Pilatus Kulm with an observation deck.

Mt Rigi and Mt. Stanserhorn – Mt Rigi is famous for cogwheel train and broad view over the Lake Lucerne. Mt Stanserhorn is reached by open double-decker cable car and from the peak, one can see the Bernese Alps.

Mt. Titlis – Central Switzerland’s biggest Summer and Winter vacation destination is Engelberg and Mt. Titlis. It is located only about 35 km from Lucerne. One can plan half day or full day trips depending on interest.

Jungfraujoch – It is a highest train and road station in Europe located about 80 Km from Lucerne. If started early in the morning, one can visit this ‘Top of Europe’ destination as a day excursion.

Train tours

Golden pass – This scenic train route starts from Lucerne to Montreux and travels via Bernese Oberland, Simmen Valley, Gastaad and Lake Geneva. One needs to change the train 2 times. The entire stretch is at par scenic and takes around 5.5 hours one way. For more details, click here.

GoldenPass LIne

Gotthard Panorama Express – Previously known as Wilhelm Tell Express. This is around 5-hour journey from Zurich to Lucerne and further to Lugano and then to Italy via Locarno. One can travel entire stretch by train or maybe up to Fleueln by boat and then by train. This is less known route as compared to other Swiss scenic routes but here is also similar breathtaking landscape. For more details, click here.

Must try in Lucerne –

Fondue – There are many restaurants in Lucerne serving indefinite types of Fondue. I would recommend the Fondue House. They have a variety of Cheese fondue combinations and numerous side dishes to dip in fondue. One can order per person or for a family. Prices are reasonable as compared to other restaurants in the area. The staff is very friendly. They helped us decide the combinations and after tasing, we can say that they are masters of their business. One must try this restaurant.

Swiss roll cake – Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of it. This is yeast dough rolled out and then filled with boiled and finely chopped dried pears and plums, crunchy walnuts and some spice mixture. Our hotel owner served us for breakfast. It tastes heavenly.

Lucerne Gingerbread – Though the name ‘bread’, it is a cake made with some spice mixture, pear juice, and honey. This is also a traditional recipe of Lucerne.

After reading these points, would you select Lucerne as a base for exploring central Switzerland?

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Let me know below in the comments.

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AUTHOR

Varsha

Hi, I am Varsha, a family travel blogger and the owner of this site- VarshasTravel360. At present, I am in Germany exploring various natural landscapes and historic sites around Europe. In my blog, I share my travel experiences, information about family-friendly destinations and tips to explore them on budget.